Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Grace’

Letter of the Law

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on June 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 8:4-5
“…and [they] said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

This is a very familiar passage from scripture where Jesus thwarts the efforts of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees who want to trap him into speaking against and/or breaking the law. If they could catch him publicly, they could justify arresting him, etc.

They probably didn’t know that Jesus had already said and taught: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” [Matthew 5:17] But he was a teacher, a rabbi, who was teaching a “new way.”

Jesus never denied that the woman caught in adultery should be stoned. It was, indeed, the law. He was known for his words of mercy, grace and forgiveness and they expected him to “forgive her.” Instead, this became an excellent example of how the law can look through the lens of mercy. Jesus tells the crowd that the punishment can begin, but should begin with that person who is without sin, that person who has not broken any of the laws. There were none. The crowd dispersed and the letter of the law was not exacted. The woman was given a chance to change… Jesus did not release her without first telling her to “leave your life of sin.”

For me, one implication here is that her sin would eventually kill her if she persisted… the law would be fulfilled.

But the greater message is that many of us are still in a crowd looking, with righteous indignation, for sinners to get their just reward. We must be more careful; the fulfillment of the law may look different than we expect.

Jesus put sins and lawbreaking into one great big pile. One sin was no worse than another. Breaking a “little law” was no different than breaking a “big law.”

Today, help me see others with the eyes of Jesus. Help me think first before I act. Help me to consider more carefully the behavior of others and ask myself, “how would I hope to be treated” if I was doing the same thing? Help me temper my tendency to judge others with the mercy of Christ.

Read Full Post »

Eye of the Needle

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on June 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 19:24
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

That’s us, the rich man. I don’t think we want to hear that, but it’s true. I’m reading Rob Bell’s “Jesus Wants to Save Christians,” and found a list of disturbing facts. Here are just a few:

  • The U.S. consumes 20 million barrels of oil a day. (Next in line is China, 5.6 million barrels a day.)
  • America controls 20% of the world’s wealth with only about 5% of the world’s population.
  • Every 7 seconds, somewhere in the world a child under age 5 dies of hunger while Americans throw away 14% of the food we purchase.
  • Nearly 1 billion people in the world live on less than one American dollar a day.
  • More than half of the world lives on less than $2 a day, while the average American teenager spends nearly $150 a week.
  • 40% of people in the world lack basic sanitation while 49 million diapers are used and thrown away in America every day.
  • 1.6 billion people in the world have no electricity.
  • Most people in the world do not own a car; one-third of American families own 3 cars.
  • One in seven children worldwide has to go to work every day just to survive.
  • Americans spend more annually on trash bags than nearly half of the world does on all goods

I’m only saying: we’re the rich man. All of us. So, how will you get through the eye of the needle to enter the Kingdom of God?

I am counting on the mercy and grace of Christ. That’s it. There is no other way.

Read Full Post »

What is Sin?

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 19, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 5:14
Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

So, here was this man who had a fantastic miracle happen! After years and year on a mat, waiting for the waters to stir at the Pool of Bethsaida, Jesus came and healed him. Later, the man sees Jesus again. Was he astonished that Jesus admonished him? And what was his sin? We are not told what it was in this story.

But this story made me think about sin. Do we assume that because he was an invalid that he no longer sinned? Or was there a greater sin earlier in his life before he became bed-ridden? The implication here is that sin brings disasters into our lives.

For me, sin is a conscious act that I know is wrong or hurtful or law-breaking (either legal or divine). Sin begins in the mind and then is acted upon. There must be a decision or choice to sin. The problem comes when we know longer realize the acts are sinful. If we keep on sinning in a particular way, it becomes the norm. But there was a moment, a day, a time when the choice was new. It is important to find that kernel in our past.

There are always consequences to our thoughts and actions, whether good or bad. The consequences may not be immediate, but we are kidding ourselves if we don’t think they will happen. It’s the law of sowing and reaping. There is only one way to break this law and that is by grace that comes through the cross of Christ.

But before I can call on the work of Christ to block the reaping of my sins, I must face the reality of my sins. I must identify the sin. I must call it for what it is. And then I can I ask for the power of the cross to stand between me and those consequences.

Make me conscious today, O Lord my God, that I might lay the truth at your feet.

Read Full Post »

Grace and Truth

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , on May 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Grace is a good thing. Always. We can never get too much grace. Like mercy, it is a safe gift. Grace is forgiveness. Grace is forgetfulness. Grace is patient and kind.

Truth on the other hand carries some extra weight. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for truth. But it takes courage to practice truth, particularly truth about oneself. As I see myself more clearly, I am often appalled at what I see. I am grateful for grace that tempers truth.

Truth today: I’m floundering a bit. I’m feeling edgy and I think I’m missing something important. Instead of more centered on Christ, I feel less so. I want to escape. I want to hide. When my kids don’t want to hear me, they cover their ears and say, “blah, blah, blah” over and over again. That’s I feel today. I don’t want to care about anything today.

Grace today: This too shall pass.

Read Full Post »

Door Number One

Posted in Time Up to Pentecost, tagged , , , , , , on April 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Which door will I choose if these three are before me:

  1. Behind door number one are all the experiences that God has for me today. Some may be wonderful but some may be difficult. There will be both sorrow and joy.
  2. Behind door number two will be only the experiences that I want to devise. I can have total control over them. I would know before I opened the door what to expect.
  3. Behind door number three would be the experiences that someone else would select for me. I could choose the person who would pick them out for me. I could probably guess what would be there based on the person who I select to design my day.

We all know what the answer should be. If only we could trust God with our lives each day. Sometimes, I trust God enough to open door number one, but then, when I peek inside, I slam it shut.

Today, I have a follow-up appointment for my teenaged daughter who, apparently, has inflammation of the spine (rheumatoid arthritis). Today, we will hear what her prognosis and treatment plan will be. As much as I would like this part of the day to be behind door number two or even three, I must open door number one in faith. Give me the grace I need. Give her some too.

Read Full Post »

Persistance Without Offense

Posted in Lent, tagged , , on March 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Mark 7:28
“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

I think it’s amazing that despite the fact that Jesus has basically called this woman a dog (quite the put-down) when she, a gentile, begged Jesus to heal her daughter. And yet, instead of taking offense, she merely persists, calling not on His justice, but His mercy. Her love for her daughter kept her focused on the need. Her heart was pure of motive. She believed in His goodness and His ability to “break” the law. He was ultimately setting the stage for the rest of us to come into the Kingdom. She modeled persistence and He modeled grace.

Read Full Post »

On Self-Control 2

Posted in Fifty days with Jesus, tagged , , , on October 29, 2008| 1 Comment »

Pastor Craig selected Titus 2:11-14 for our meditation today and I could barely get passed the first verse, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “no”…” I was caught by an idea, as we move toward doing good (the virtue piece of our plan in II Peter 1:3-11), I believe the opposite energy begins as well. Some people might call that Satan’s work, but no matter what you call the phenomenon, once you head out to do good, there is a force of darkness at work to send you back the other way.

I have always assumed that this was where “my role” in the process had to kick in. If I was a true Christian, then I should be able to overcome these temptations. I should be able to say “no,” especially after all that the Lord has done for me. And when I failed, I lost heart… I lost my forward momentum. Perhaps I wouldn’t go back, but I wouldn’t go forward either.

I have never thought about the power of “grace” to halt the negative flow or pressure. In essence, I am seeing grace as “having my back” now while I’m moving forward. Grace is the true power behind “self-control.” Grace is the fuel. Grace is applied without judgment. Grace is full of mercy and understanding. But never forget, Grace is is also full of power!

I can’t help but think of the Irish Blessing from St. Patrick (and with each mention of Christ, I think of Grace):

Christ be with me
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ in me
Christ beneath me
Christ above me
Christ on my right
Christ on my left
Christ where I lie
Christ where I sit
Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man
who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man
who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me
Salvation is of the Lord.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts